I am totally with you on this! I work out with a personal trainer 3 days a week-he keeps me "honest" and really pushes me. Right now, my bigger problem is keeping motivated with diet
;-P

Anyway, when I am doing cardio on my own, I either have a program I am watching (when on treadmill/bike/elliptical at gym) and/or have some upbeat music to listen to. I was in marching band in high school "way back when" and automatically find myself keeping time, so upbeat music is the way to go for me. As always, "Your Mileage May Vary"

Stephanie

I take an exercise class once a week that's actually held at a hospital, and it is geared toward plus size women. They have a fitness pro leading the class, and she is always watching our form to help the ladies with their individual health issues. She is very motivating without being judgmental, which is a very hard line to hold. I read an article in the newspaper about the class in late February this year, and it has completely changed my outlook on what's possible for me.... and I've lost 35 pounds since. It's 40 minutes of exercises that we can replicate at home daily, and 20 minutes of chat about what you've done that week, or can do, or what others have found that helped them with their fitness goals. It's great.

The other exercise that I enjoy the most is a 5-mile brisk walk along the fabulous river trails in my city. I look forward to making time for that on the weekends. The beauty of the scenery somehow restores my soul. I don't take any music or phone along. I just listen to the birds chirping, water flowing, watch out for rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and the cute dogs of other hikers. The trails are marked in half mile increments. So I clock myself and try to lower my overall time each week. If I don't have time, I really miss it and try to juggle my schedule better for next week.

I generally like to have music. Some of my favorite songs right now are "99 Problems" by Jay-Z, "Boys" by MIA and "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead. Those tend to get me pretty pumped and motivated.

I also like to plan my shopping list and plan my schedule for the week. Maybe not the most exciting stuff ever, but the gym is the only place where I have zero distractions. I find it insanely relaxing.

Congrats on the 35 pound milestone!-I agree that the group dynamic helps (at least with me)--the comraderie, the cheering, the support, it all keeps ya going!

I have found a couple of nice trails in my area...the only "problem" is the heat lately. I am taking femara (for follow-up to breast cancer--three years out, two more years to go with the femara and I can ditch it! <g>), which causes hot flashes. Exercise actually helps, but walking/jogging in the heat is not fun....Am looking forward to Fall

Buny

Couldnt agree more, when im at the gym or going for a long run and its me and my i-pod, my mind goes blank and its an hour or more of pure bliss.

my kids and espn keep me motivated. i am 6'2" and weighed 250 lbs. one day when i was sitting on the couch my 7 year old son said " Dad why is your belly so big?" (kids they tell it like it is) i decided i better do somthing about it. i have since dropped 25lbs and feel better than i have in a long long time. so as i hit the weights or tredmill i put espn on and when i am craving a nice big juicy burger i think of the words my 7 year old said and keep driving on.

My motivation comes in the form of completion of my workday. I work a 9-5pm job Monday through Friday. My workout routine is an hour a day that I tack on to the end of my workday, looking at it as a form of work for my body, putting in overtime. In all sincerity I don't really like going to work (because Id obviously rather be doing other things) but Its a necessity for a living, as is exercise. I workout for an hour a day Monday through Friday and rest on my weekends, just like with my work schedule. I don't take time off of work nor do I skip on working out. In the end both efforts are rewarded with more money and a fit, healthy body. Its a state of mind and results that keep me determined.

Great attitude youngskied.

Do you have a gym at your work? If not, what kind of workouts are you able to enjoy after a long day at the office?

H

Yes luckily I'm fortunate enough to have a gym in the lower level of my office. I usually start out with a two mile run on the tread mill followed by some upper and lower body strength training exercise. The run is comes out to about 15mins and the other 45mins are lifting. This regiment really keeps me looking forward to my Fridays and the payoff feels really rewarding, especially when you have two day weekend ahead. It just seems to fit in my life with convenience.

That's great - I wish more offices had a gym! I'm in a fitness challenge with my WebMD coworkers. We have a pedometer that uploads steps to our laptop. It's extremely motivating to see everyone's progress and try to get in my 10,000 steps a day (easier than it sounds!)

Thanks for sharing!

H

No problem. Nice topic.